Falmouth – Maine Audubon invites friends, supporters and the general public to a special Earth Day screening of the Maine Outdoor Film Festival on Wednesday, April 22, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. The film screening will take place at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, 20 Gilsland Farm Road in Falmouth. Tickets are $5 for Maine Audubon and Appalachian Mountain Club members and $8 for the general public. Cash bar and food opens at 6:00 pm, films begin at 7:00pm. Online registration is encouraged.

The festival will feature the Maine premier of Fifty Lakes One Island by George Desort, a film about the eighty nights the filmmaker spent alone on Isle Royale National Park on Lake Superior. There will also be screenings of five short films: Desert Ice, Mike Libecki: Pursuit of Passion, Une balade à la mer (A ride towards the sea), Moments from Hogback and Tow Pony.

The films are presented in conjunction with the Maine Outdoor Film Festival (MOFF) and in partnership with Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). The event is sponsored by Maine Magazine.

In honor of the endangered monarch butterfly’s annual migration between Canada and Mexico, local kindergarten and pre-school children will participate in Greater Portland’s 1st Annual Pollinators Parade held at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center. Educational activities, including crafts, a scavenger hunt and a symbolic planting of milkweed, will emphasize the steps we can take to help rescue the disappearing monarch. Festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. and the costume parade begins at noon

The 7:00 a.m. celebration, held at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center and hosted by Maine Audubon’s “Osprey” advisory group, will feature music, readings from a variety of spiritual backgrounds and yoga (sun salutation). Everyone is welcome to attend and share their connection to the earth at this nondenominational sunrise service.

Give back to the Earth by helping clean up the marsh, the Nature Center and the grounds ahead of the new season. In partnership with Project G.R.A.C.E in Scarborough, support a neighbor by bringing canned and staple foods or grocery gift cards to the cleanup event that takes place from 9:00 a.m. – noon.

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About Maine AudubonMaine Audubon’s science-based approach to conservation, education and advocacy advances wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation in Maine. Our citizen science programs connect Maine people to engaging volunteer opportunities that make meaningful contributions to conservation research. The largest Maine-based wildlife conservation organization, Maine Audubon has eight centers and wildlife sanctuaries and serves over 50,000 people annually, with 20,000 members and 2,000 volunteers.